SUMMARY
- The top players participated in a fun little interview ahead of the Australian Open.
- The fans were endeared by Alcaraz's attempts at speaking an Australian phrase.
The Australian Open is off to a flying start, and it is already shaping up to be a memorable one. As the first Grand Slam of the year, players will give their best to walk away with the ultimate prize. However, a few stars, like Carlos Alcaraz, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and others, got a chance to show off their linguistic talents.
The days leading up to the event are usually a busy time for players as they fine-tune their strategies. It was slightly different this time, as the players got a little respite from their busy schedules. Some of the top players took part in a fun interview in a bid to promote the tournament.
Like every country, Australia has its fair share of quirks, especially when it comes to language. The players were given a little challenge—they had to pronounce three stereotypical Australian phrases.
Crikey! Who did it best? 🤣 pic.twitter.com/inQF12OLcu
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) January 16, 2024
The responses were hilarious, to say the least. Stefanos and Emma Raducanu nailed the accent in one go when saying, ‘G’day, mate, while the rest tried their best. They also had to say ‘Crikey’ and ‘Fair Dinkum’, and the responses ranged from decent to average. The organizers even had to explain to Aryna Sabalenka what fair dinkum meant.
Since the Tennis Channel posted the clip on social media, fans cannot get enough of Carlos. The young Spaniard visibly struggled with the first phrase, uttering what a fan thought sounded like, “Gay… gay day… what?” He did manage it eventually, even losing his heavy Spanish accent in the process. Here are a few reactions to the interview.
While Carlos and some others struggled, Stefanos Tsitsipas breezed through the interview, like his first-round match. The Greek star took on Matteo Berrettini’s replacement and roared back to form in Melbourne.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Zizou Bergs at the Australian Open
Melbourne holds a very special place in Stefanos’ life. Tsitsipas made it to the finals of the Australian Open in 2023 before losing to Novak Djokovic. However, he is on a mission and survived an early scare to make it to the second round of the tournament.
Stefanos clashed with Zizou Bergs, who replaced an injured Berrettini. The Belgian broke Stefanos’ service in the eleventh game to claim the first set.
Tsitsipas pulled himself back into the game after losing the first set. He went on to drop only five more games on his way to victory. Stefanos eventually defeated Bergs 5-7, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3 in four sets.
2023 runner up Stefanos Tsitsipas comes back to beat Zizou Bergs 5-7, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3 and reach the 2nd round at the #AusOpen.
He was very good in the last three sets! pic.twitter.com/sWnQtplNOO
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) January 15, 2024
Stefanos Tsitsipas will hope to make a deep run at the Australian Open again this year. He will face off against Jordan Thompson in the second round on January 17.
